Pale as a Phantom
by Duck the Villain
Summary: Danny arrives in Jump City battered, bruised and all in all worse for wear. He is running from something, but unable to transform into Phantom. The Teen Titans are the last people Danny wants to run into, but when a mission that effects the still reclusive ghost zone sends them searching for Danny, how can he avoid them?
1. Prologue

**Hi! This is a Danny Phantom and Teen Titans crossover, PP has not happened. Teen titans wise its going to be set around season 3ish, but Ill probably alter that as I go encase I decide to integrate episodes. There more than likely will be a bit of swearing and violence. Feel free to read, rate and review! This is my first story, so I need all the help I can get.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I own NOTHING**

Prologue: A New Town

Danny tumbled. Air and earth rushing up to meet his face as he plummeted towards the ground. He landed awkwardly on his side, a stubborn rock pushing into his stomach. Exhaustion seeped through his bones; hands shaking he looked up at the closing portal of swirling green as it began to disappear. Was it over? Was he safe? The word almost made him laugh. Safe, yeah right. He hadn't felt safe since... No. He couldn't think about that, as much as his aching body wished it, he couldn't afford the luxury of thinking. He needed to move. He had bought some time, but there was no guarantee of just how much time. Phantom had gone into remission, slumbering somewhere just out of reach. Danny could barely feel it anymore, his core was too damaged, the portal had taken everything he had had and in his weakened state he wasn't so sure if he could walk much less fight.

Pushing himself up, Danny stumbled to his feet, swearing as fresh pain rampaged through his body. His leg didn't support his weight quite the way it should, even the light wind threatened to push him over. He was on the side of a road, the empty asphalt seemed to stretch only for short while before it took a jagged turn just to disappear beyond a mound of dried grass. Danny watched as a car whizzed by, towards the bend in the road. Guess that was the way to civilization. The idea didn't sit well with him, the thought of people made his stomach turn but he needed to put distance between himself and the portal, and more importantly, he needed food. His stomach and legs took turns complaining as he started the way the car had gone. It had been nearly a week, his could still remember his last meal, his last meal with _them._ His stomach growled again, and pain spread from his core as tears pricked his eyes. Keep walking. He trudged on. Keep walking. Don't think. Keep walking. His ankle twisted under his weight, nearly sending him face first towards the ground. Danny scowled at the dirt: the dirt on the road, the dirt on his jeans, even the dirt on his skin seemed like a mockery. The great Danny Phantom! Ghost hero and protector, stumbling down some road in ripped muddy jeans and a hoodie that rivaled Clockwork in age, dried blood and scabbing cuts competing with bruises for his attention. He couldn't even heal at his usual speed! In the past two years of his half ghost existence he had never felt so... human.

Then he nearly walked into a pole.

The pole belonged to a sign boasting a place called "Jump City! Home of the Teen Titans!" The Teen Titans, he had heard of them. They were some group of heroes in California, if he remembered right, California was good. California was far, far, away from Amity Park and Wisconsin. Heroes though, they were another thing to worry about. On one hand their presence could protect him from himself, if someone else was saving the day, Danny could lie low. Heal if it was possible. The halfa checked his pocket, relief flooding his tired body, he could complete his mission.

If he did that, then at least he had a chance of recovery. It was a small sliver of hope, and Danny would be damned if he was going to let that slip away. But, heroes could be trouble. Specifically the ones bound by the public, but it was a decent sized city if the sign was any indication. Much larger than Amity Park and more than likely much denser, anyway what where the odds that five busy heroes would ever even see him much less meet him? This in mind, Danny limped past the sign. The city loomed over him, casting long shadows as the sun sank behind the buildings. The frenzied sounds of car horns and construction echoed through the city, welcoming him in the only way a city can.

He picked through the people on the street, ignoring the odd looks- which ranged anywhere from disgust to pity- that he received from the pedestrians. Danny grit his teeth, he needed to blend in. Which meant he couldn't look half starved, he needed to find food. His stomach reminded him of that much. The pitiful five dollars in his pocket couldn't buy much, but at this point nearly anything looked good. Ten minutes later, Danny ended up with a dangerous looking hotdog from a shady looking street vendor. Fifteen minutes after that, Danny was curled up under a bridge in a park. Asleep for what felt like the first time in ages.

 **So there it is. The very first chapter! If you stuck with it all the way down to this authors note, thank you very much.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Okay here is the next part! This is going to be the first chapter, I know that the last part was supposed to be it but looking back it was so short I'm going to pretend that it was the prologue and make this the first chapter. Anyway, I want to make some notes about whats already happened TUE wise since that was brought to my attention by a wonderful commenter (all of you people who read and review make my day, I love you people) and just say that TUE has happened canonically and all this stuff that's going down is happening about two years after.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING**

Chapter 1

Maybe it was experience, or perhaps some odd form of luck, but for whatever reason, Danny didn't open his eyes when he woke up to the sound of harsh breathing. Nor did he shift from his position on the ground as the pungent odor of unwashed human and booze threatened his personal space.

He could hear the shuffle of footsteps, heck, he could feel as the man (or what he assumed was a man) leaned down towards him. It was at that moment that panic started to make its presence known to him, muscles aching as Danny attempted to keep them relaxed and still. In this position he waited. As fate would have it, he didn't have to wait long. The stranger had knelt over him, teetering as he did so, causing the already highly noticeable smell of alcohol to become still more apparent. Only to then place his wavering hand into the pocket of Danny's hoodie, clearly intent on stealing its contents. It was at this moment that Danny opened his eyes. Twisting in the inhumanly flexible way only he could and grabbing the would be thief's arm.

The man screamed in shock. Dragging his body back towards the other side of the narrow bridges base. Danny didn't let go, allowing himself to be propelled forward and upright as his assailant shot backwards. The man was much larger than he, and had Danny been completely human the stranger would have easily overpowered him. But Danny was not completely human, even without full use of his ghost form Danny could take this guy. He could crush him. Danny kept his grip firmly implanted on the other mans arm as he twisted it away and back. Anger bubbling to the surface. It was almost gratifying to see the man squirm, anger seeking any outlet it could find. Danny froze, he wasn't like this. He wasn't like _him_. Releasing the mugger harshly, Danny watched the man slam into the wall and onto the floor.

"Scram." The guy didn't need to be told twice, he scrambled to his feet desperately and made a run for it, giving Danny one last fearful glimpse over his shoulder.

Danny watched him go. Pulling his own hand into his pocket, relief washing over him. It was still there. Safe and sound within his grasp, Phantom could feel its presence as it touched his skin, temporarily releasing the familiar cold of his lost ghost side. Power came off of the item in waves. The power of a ghostly artifact so potent in energy it could toss the entire Ghost Zone into chaos. The power of the Ring of Rage.

* * *

Beast Boy went flying, Starfire not five seconds afterwards, both young heroes swatted out of the air by the massive paw of the giant mutant monster, which seemed simply tickled by the onslaught of green energy, black magic, birdarangs, sonic cannon fire, as well as a sprinkling of dinosaur claws and teeth. The thing was tearing up the park. Robin had gotten the Titans to isolate it but defeating it was something else entirely. The monster had no connections to any of the usual villains, nothing appeared to be driving the creature and nobody was taking any claim to the beast.

There was no monologue, no speech, no rhyme or reason to where this thing came from, and frankly, it was pissing Robin off. Jump City had its fair share off odd, but 16 foot green mutant slime creatures usually came with somesortof psychopath. Even more troubling was the way it originally had ignored the Titans, making it all the way to the park before a well placed birdarang to the eye caught its attention.

As it turns out, that things attention was a bad thing to hold. While it didn't seem to have much of a cognitive process, it packed a punch capable of sending a nearly invulnerable, sun fueled Tamareanian into a sandbox. Beast Boy was quick to get up. Bouncing to his feet before Robin could swivel his head, ready to rejoin the fray. As far as Robin knew, Raven was hovering just to his left, Cyborg not to far beside her. The unlikely team of magic and science barely denting the creature. He needed to get creative if they were going to win.

Robin dodged two rows of massive teeth, dropping a explosive down the creatures throat, experience had taught him that the weakest part of most living things was the stomach- and damn did he hope it applied to this monstrosity. The inside of the monster started to glow, causing the monsters green goopy skin to light up like a lava lamp. Robin smirked. This thing was going to blow, and luckily his team got the picture, jumping either for Ravens shield or for some sort of cover. Robin chose the nearest shelter- a dilapidated bridge. It didn't seem all too sturdy, but it should protect him from the eruption, as well as the mess that came with it. He jumped for cover at the last second, the force of the blow sent him tumbling into somebody. At first, he thought it was one of his teammates but a second look revealed a unfamiliar disheveled looking teen not too much older than Robin himself. The teen blinked at him, before pushing himself off the ground, Robin soon did the same easily pulling his body up and standing.

Robin winced, "I uh, sorry. You ok? I hit you pretty hard."

"Yeah, I'm good," He paused, glancing at the destruction at the mouth of the bridge opening. A dark look crossed his face, sending warning signals off in Robins head, then it was gone. A passive mask slipping over his features only to begin feigning curiosity in a way that had Robin been anybody else, it would have seemed genuine, "That was a rough fight, you know what that thing was?"

Robin squinted at the boy, "No idea, haven't seen anything like it before," he looked the stranger over, "the Titans can handle it so you don't have to worry."

The teen didn't exactly look all too confident. Robin frowned. Most non reporters knew to run at the first sign of a fight and this kid looked more homeless then paparazzi. Not to mention that the majority of people would be at least _a bit_ star struck to have a run in with Robin, but this guy looked more displeased than anything so that ruled him out of the stupid fan boy category. Robin couldn't put his finger on it but something wasn't right with this dude, and it wasn't his usual "this guy is up to no good" feeling. He was about to ask the teens name when something shiny caught Robins' eye near his feet, at first look it seemed like something he would find in Cyborgs room. Only it was green and silver instead of Cyborgs customary blue and white, a scratched out logo barely distinguishable from all the damage on the container.

"Here's your... Thermos," Robin tossed the weird cylindrical container at the boy, who in turn swiftly shoved it into his hoodies front pocket. Mumbling a brief thanks. The stranger pocketed the thermos a tad too fast for Robin, and suddenly the Boy Wonder wanted nothing more than a second look at the item. He doubted he would get it, especially when Starfire all but appeared behind him, more than likely checking to see if he was still conscious after the blast.

"Robin is your health well? The monster has stopped the exploding now," Robin glanced at Starfire, "I'm fine, Star. Everybody else good?"

"Everybody is also fine," she beamed, "The monster is nothing but volkgorb now."

"Alright, tell Cyborg to grab some samples. I want to figure out what that thing was and where it came from," Starfire hummed happily before flying out from under the bridge to carry out Robins instructions. Robin turned back to the teen, only to find himself alone under the bridge. He scowled at the empty space, no use sticking around now. Besides, he had work to do. He couldn't waste time worrying about random teenagers, he had to figure out what that monster was and whether there were more of them. Jump City was full of strangers, that one boy couldn't be all that important to the city's safety, could he? Ignoring his gut feeling Robin turned back to his team, he needed to focus on bigger things not small curiosities. With that in mind, Robin let Starfire fly him back to Titan Tower, a jar of green goop tucked under his arm.

 **Alrighty! So what did you guys think? If anybody has suggestions for improvements I want to hear them so feel free to speak up. We will have to see about update speeds, but winter break finally got here and while its not as long as it was last year (they thought we wouldn't notice but we did) I solemnly swear to write a whole lot more than I have been since I feel so guilty about being so lazy so early in the fic. It's literally the first chapter. This is sad. Anyway Happy Holidays!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Yo. I know its been FOREVER but I have had a crazy month with school and everything. Also inspiration is a fickle bitch. Every time I get inspired I'm at school or Walmart or something and I'm like "ehh I'll remember this train of thought, I can write it down later." I don't. Not at all. Its a vicious cycle of self loathing and laziness. Anyway, you people have waited long enough, so without any more stalling, here's the next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING**

"You're going to jail, Robin," Cyborg's voice showed no mercy.

"Cyborg. Please," Robin pleaded. "You cant be serious."

Cyborgs mouth twisted into a unforgiving smirk, "You know the rules Rob, you cant escape this. You don't have anywhere else to go."

Robin growled, "Fine. Betray me then. I see our friendship means nothing to you," his own team, abandoning him like this. Betrayal in its finest form. He glared at Cyborg as he moved the small polished battleship into the jail. Gritting his teeth as Cyborgs smirk widened.

"Don't stress it dude, I've been in the poor house for, like, the past half hour," Beast Boy piped up. He had been idly playing with his own game token, twirling the metal dog between his fingers while casually watching Cyborg take Robins dignity.

Raven looked up from her book, "I'm sure BB will visit you if he ever gets out of the poor house."

"It's not my fault you and Star corner the market every time we play Monopoly," Beastboy scoffed. Starfire had turned out to be surprisingly good at the game, once the rules had been explained to her. Raven had given no charity, viciously sending her associates into bankruptcy. The two girls repeatedly drained the hopes and dreams of their fellow teammates, leaving Robin and Cyborg fighting for survival and Beastboy dead in the dust.

"There's no need to fight frien-" Starfire was cut off by the blare of the alarm. Red lights flashed across the Tower's living room. Robin had never been so relieved. He was up at the flatscreen's computer in mere seconds, conveniently knocking his game piece out of jail and onto the ground in his hurry to access police records and news reports.

"There has been sightings of three green creatures running through town," Robin squinted at the screen, "nobody has been hurt yet, but that might change. Titans GO!"

* * *

Mutant. Green. Monsters. Three of them sniffing down one of Jump City's more homely alleys, a pang of familiarity nearly made Robin stiffen. The dank smell of mystery puddles and mold reminded him all to much of Gotham. At least Gotham didn't have glowing mutant wolf-creatures. Psychopaths yes, but nearly translucent, glowing, green, mutant dogs, no. Robin frowned from his perch above the alley. They looked like they were searching for something. He glanced up at where the other Titans were hovering. Starfire had Cyborg hanging from her arms, Robin assumed the small moth flying just to her right was Beastboy. Raven was harder to spot, she blended into the shadows like she was one of their own kin, which she -in a sense- was. Robin nodded at his team. Better to beat these things now while they are isolated than let them get close to a civilian.

Robin sprung into action. Dropping only a foot or so from the largest dog -what he assumed was the pack alpha- as he pulled his staff. A heavy clang told him that Cyborg had landed behind him, and a soft squishy sound and quiet "eww" informed Robin of Beastboys position behind him. The girls stayed in the air, taking advantage of their flying capabilities while offering a strategic vantage point. The dogs growled, nearly neon green foam dripping from each set of jaws. Their eyes glowed a vicious, hungry red. It felt wrong. Unearthly, eerily so. The beasts held far to much similarity to the creature they had fought only 24 hours ago, no, they were the same. These creatures lacked the size and magnitude of the first monster but they most likely made up for it in speed or agility. Cruel growls drifted down the alley towards Robin, the alpha started to pull its body into a low crouch as its lips curled into a snarl.

Like most fights it started fast, each side only taking seconds to measure the opposing team before the conflict began. The alpha leapt towards Robin, jaws parted wide for his throat, green saliva sprayed Robins face as he kept the creatures mouth at bay with his bowstaff. He dug his heels into the street, bracing as the wolf threw itself at him. A trashcan was thrown into the side of Robins attacker sending it scrambling to get up. Giving Raven a nod, Robin pounced at the wolf. Pulling his staff through the air towards the creatures head, he could hear the metal rod whistling as it gained speed only to clang harmlessly on the concrete.

He had hit his mark, or he should have. His staff smacked into the concrete when it should have been hitting the skull of the dog. Robin froze. His staff was _in_ the dogs head. He would have thought it had disappeared at contact had he not felt the jolt of his bowstaff hitting the ground. The wolf didn't seem to mind pulling itself up through Robins staff with nothing more than a snarl.

Then it backed off, twisting its massive head to search for a unknown source. Seconds later it vanished into thin air along with its pack. Leaving nothing but questions and a cold gust of wind. Robin checked his team, usually when enemies abandon a fight it is when they get what they want, Robin just had to be sure it wasn't any of his teammates.

"What just... happened?" Cyborg turned his eyes towards Robin, "It was like I kept missing except I don't miss that often."

"Yeah, and where the heck did those things go? Only Raven disappears like that," Beastboys voice dripped with confusion.

Raven frowned, "Even I do not have the ability to turn invisible. Whatever that thing was, it was not of this plane."

"What do you mean plane? Plane as in not this dimensi-"

Raven cut him off, "Dimension. No. Yesterday, the creature in the park, it gave off a similar aura. Where ever these beings are coming from, it is closer to my dimension than yours," Raven stiffened, "we need to leave this alley, now."

Before Robin could stop her she had pulled the shadows around them, engulfing the Titans in the pulsing blackness of living shadows. The familiar feeling of his heart skipping a beat mixed in with the sudden smell of pizza and Titan Mold told Robin that Raven had brought them back to the tower.

* * *

"What the heck Rae! Warn a dude before you sweep him off his feet," Beastboy whined.

Raven glared at him, "something else was there, more powerful, but also more..."

Starfire hovered closer to Robins side, "more what friend Raven? We were alone in the alley, yes? What else could have been there?"

"I don't know, Starfire. There are many, many, dimensions and aura reading isn't exact, even for me. At this point I can only tell you what it probably was _not_ and even then I wouldn't be sure," her frown transformed into a scowl. One that Robin subconsciously mimicked.

"Cyborg, you are still running tests on the goop we collected from the first creature, right? Even if these things are from another dimension there is a good chance that we aren't the first to run into them," Robin pulled himself up to his full height, they were going to figure this out. Things always happen for a reason, the chances of two separate incidents with these "other dimensional creatures" was simply to low, "they were looking for something, so they had a reason to be here in Jump. If we figure out what they are, why they're here, and where they came from we can most likely decipher the last aura Raven felt. We already know they are willing to attack, can turn intangible on will, and are capable of invisibility, use that in your search. There has to be some information out there, we just have to find it."

* * *

Danny grumbled. Breaking an entry had been way easier when he could fly _through_ the wall, not that he habitually trespassed, but the ability to escape or enter any building had been an odd comfort as well as a handy mechanism for crime fighting. Danny placed a hand on the motel wall, closing his eyes in a frustrating attempt at intangibility. He felt his hand get slightly cold, a bit numb too, but it remained solidly planted on the mustard yellow wall. So he glared at it, hard. Half hoping to bore a hole through his hand or make it spontaneously combust, at this point either would be a good sign.

Growling, he pulled his hand back and shifted his eyes to the shady motel. The thing was an eye sore, with a shagging roof and paint that had at some point been closer to a sunflower colour than that of a dead bumblebee. Gutters where duck-taped to the walls and the "pool" promised a lawsuit, had he not known any better, Danny would have thought the place to be haunted. If not now, then soon, looking at the state of the building. Unfortunately, the low quality was the reason he was there. A building looking this bad clearly didn't have any maids -or security cameras- he could stay anonymous here, find a empty room and not worry about being checked up on or bothered. Perfect. He just had to get into a room, somehow.

Then Danny saw the window, judging from the smell alone the window had most likely been left open by a smoker. He sized himself up, he could fit, probably, if he squeezed. Danny positioned himself under the window before pulling off his hoodie and backpack, cautiously pushing the Ring of Rage deeper into his pocket, couldn't leave that outside. Kicking his hoodie closer to the wall, Danny jumped, gripping the bottom of the window with his hands and pulling his body upward until his head stuck in through the window and his legs dangled outside. The bottom rail cut into his abdomen as he hung there for a second trying to find a safe spot to place his hands. Somehow managing to secure his hands on the top of the toilet, Danny dragged the rest of his body through the window falling not so gracefully onto the tile floor. Groaning, he pulled himself up. Turned out the inside on the motel looked about as friendly as the outside, but hey, it had a TV.

Grabbing the "Do Not Disturb" sign from the table, Danny unlatched one of the giant windows and climbed out, placing the sign on the door before retrieving his hoodie and bag. Tucking his hoodie under his arm, Danny slipped back through the window and pulled the drapes. Only the lights on the side table and in the bathroom worked, barely illuminating the dingy room. Danny flopped on the bed letting his body bounce on the firm mattress, still, it was better than the ground, far warmer too. He pulled his hand up to his face, staring at the thin scar on his palm. The scar used to make him uncomfortable, it still did in a way, but the heated anger that had brought tears to his eyes only weeks ago seemed to have been replaced with a numbing fury. In all honesty, Danny couldn't tell what was worst. He clenched his fist and sat up, dumping his backpacks contents out onto the bed.

The Fenton Thermos, a first aid kit, a couple dollars, a wrist ghost-ray gun, and a partially crumpled photo sat pathetically on the bed. That was all he had, all that was left. In the end, the first aid kit had turned into his most useful possession here. He had banged up his leg when he fell from the portal, it still hurt, and without full access to his ghost powers, a sprain that would have healed in a couple hours could take days to mend.

"Marvelous," Danny breathed, "I'm a presumed dead teen with no cash and no options! What the hell now Clockwork?! What am I supposed to do with this stupid ring and nobo-" Danny swallowed. He just needed to sleep more, he didn't have to think then, and more importantly didn't have to feel. He could worry about his money problem and legal status as a "deceased" teenager, Danny laughed to himself dryly, the government had no idea how accurate that terminology was.

 **Yay! Another chapter done! The first one of 2017! Thanks for reading guys, and per astrovagant's request, I tried to put in more imagery *gasp* hope that worked out. Dialogue is so freaken hard so if you guys have any suggestions (on anything really) I would love to hear them!**


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